English
English version How supremely wonderful! All the Buddhas emit hundreds of thousands of rays of light, universally expounding the subtle Dharma to the ten directions. Thus, each Buddha establishes countless beings on the right path of the Buddha, and all their actions are Buddha-deeds. How can this be fathomed by ordinary minds? The one who has accomplished the adornment of the merit of light says in verse: 'The Buddha's wisdom is bright and pure, like the sun dispelling the ignorance and darkness of the world.' Therefore, how can this be fathomed? The light of that land arises from the wisdom-body of the Tathagata (Thus Come One). Those who come into contact with this light will surely eliminate ignorance and darkness. Light is not wisdom itself, but it is the function of wisdom. How can this be fathomed? The one who has accomplished the adornment of the merit of wonderful sound says in verse: 'The Brahma-sound awakens profound and subtle truths, heard throughout the ten directions.' Therefore, how can this be fathomed? The sutra says, 'If a person merely hears of the pure and peaceful bliss of that land and single-mindedly vows to be born there, they will also be born there and enter the assembly of the truly settled.' This is the name of the land becoming a Buddha-deed. How can this be fathomed? The one who has accomplished the adornment of the merit of the Lord says in verse: 'The Rightly Enlightened Amitābha (Immeasurable Light) Dharma King skillfully abides and maintains.' Therefore, how can this be fathomed? The Rightly Enlightened Amitābha is inconceivable. That Land of Peace and Bliss is upheld by the skillful power of the Rightly Enlightened Amitābha. How can it be fathomed? 'Abiding' means not changing, not ceasing. 'Maintaining' means not scattering, not losing. It is like coating seeds with an immortal medicine. They will not rot in water or burn in fire. When the conditions are right, they will grow. Why? Because of the power of the immortal medicine. If a person is born in the Land of Peace and Bliss and later wishes to be born in the Three Realms to teach and transform beings, they can be born according to their wishes after abandoning the life in the Pure Land. Even if they are born in the Three Realms, in complex environments, the seed of unsurpassed Bodhi (Enlightenment) will ultimately not decay. Why? Because it has been skillfully upheld by the Rightly Enlightened Amitābha. The one who has accomplished the adornment of the merit of the retinue says in verse: 'The Tathagata's pure lotus assembly is all born from the lotus of Right Enlightenment.' Therefore, how can this be fathomed? In all the worlds of mixed births, whether born from the womb, from eggs, from moisture, or by transformation, the retinue experiences various kinds of suffering and joy, due to their different karmas. But in the Land of Peace and Bliss, none are not born from the pure lotus of the Right Enlightenment of Amitābha Tathagata. Everyone is of the same mind in reciting the Buddha's name, without any other different paths. Therefore, all within the four seas are brothers. The retinue is immeasurable. How can this be fathomed? --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Chinese
庄严受用功德成就者偈言爱乐佛法味禅三昧为食故 此云何不思议。不食而资命。盖所资有以也。岂不是如来满本愿乎。乘佛愿为我命。焉可思议。 庄严无诸难功德成就者偈言永离身心恼受乐常无间故 此云何不思议。经言。身为苦器心为恼端。而彼有身有心而受乐无间。安可思议。 庄严大义门功德成就者偈言大乘善根界等无讥嫌名女人及根缺二乘种不生故 净土果报离二种讥嫌过。应知。一者体。二者名。体有三种。一者二乘人。二者女人。三者诸根不具人。无此三过故名离体讥嫌。名亦有三种。非但无三体。乃至不闻二乘女人诸根不具三种名。故名离名讥嫌。等者平等一相故。此云何不思议。夫诸天共器饭有随福之色。足指按地乃详金砾之旨。而愿往生者本则三三之品。今无一二之殊。亦如淄渑(食陵反)。一味。焉可思议。 庄严一切所求满足功德成就者偈言众生所愿乐一切能满足故 此云何不思议。彼国人天若欲愿往他方世界无量佛刹供养诸佛菩萨。及所须供养之具无不称愿。又欲舍彼寿命向余国生修短自在。随愿皆得。未阶自在之位而同自在之用。焉可思议 示现自利利他者。 略说彼阿弥陀佛国土十七种庄严功德成就示现如来自身利益大功德力成就利益他功德成就故 现代汉语译本 庄严受用功德成就者偈言：爱乐佛法味，禅三昧为食故。这如何不可思议？不靠食物而维持生命，是因为有所凭借。这难道不是如来圆满本愿吗？凭借佛的愿力作为我的生命，怎么可以思议呢？ 庄严无诸难功德成就者偈言：永离身心恼，受乐常无间故。这如何不可思议？经书上说：‘身体是痛苦的容器，心是烦恼的根源。’而他们有身有心，却能享受无间断的快乐，这怎么可以思议呢？ 庄严大义门功德成就者偈言：大乘善根界，等无讥嫌名，女人及根缺，二乘种不生故。净土的果报远离两种讥嫌的过失，应当知道。一是体，二是名。体有三种：一是二乘人（Sravaka-pratyekabuddha，声闻和缘觉），二是女人，三是诸根不具的人。没有这三种过失，所以称为远离体的讥嫌。名也有三种：非但没有这三种体，乃至不听到二乘人、女人、诸根不具这三种名称，所以称为远离名的讥嫌。‘等’是平等一相的缘故。这如何不可思议？诸天共同使用的食物，有随着福报而变化的颜色；用脚趾按地，就能详细了解金沙地的旨意。而发愿往生的人，原本有三三之品（九品往生），现在没有一品二品的区别，就像淄水和渑水一样，味道相同，怎么可以思议呢？ 庄严一切所求满足功德成就者偈言：众生所愿乐，一切能满足故。这如何不可思议？彼国的人天如果想要前往他方世界无量佛刹供养诸佛菩萨，以及所需的供养之物，没有不称心如意的。又想要舍弃彼国寿命，向其他国土投生，寿命长短自在，随愿都能得到。未达到自在的地位，却有同于自在的作用，怎么可以思议呢？这是示现自利利他。 简略地说，阿弥陀佛（Amitabha，无量光佛）国土的十七种庄严功德成就，示现如来自身利益的大功德力成就，利益他人的功德成就的缘故。
English
English version The Gatha of the Accomplishment of Adorned Enjoyment and Merit says: 'Loving the taste of the Buddha Dharma, taking Chan Samadhi (禅三昧, Dhyana Samadhi) as food.' How can this be inconceivable? Sustaining life without food, there must be a basis for it. Isn't this the fulfillment of the Tathagata's (如来, Thus Come One) original vows? Relying on the Buddha's vows as my life, how can it be conceived? The Gatha of the Accomplishment of Adorned Freedom from Difficulties and Merit says: 'Eternally free from the afflictions of body and mind, constantly experiencing uninterrupted joy.' How can this be inconceivable? The scriptures say: 'The body is a vessel of suffering, and the mind is the source of affliction.' Yet they have body and mind and experience uninterrupted joy. How can this be conceived? The Gatha of the Accomplishment of Adorned Great Meaning Door and Merit says: 'The realm of great vehicle's (大乘, Mahayana) good roots, equally without names of reproach, women and those with deficient faculties, the seeds of two vehicles (二乘, Two Vehicles) do not arise.' The fruition of the Pure Land is free from the faults of two kinds of reproach. One should know that there are two: substance and name. There are three kinds of substance: first, those of the two vehicles (Sravaka-pratyekabuddha, 声闻和缘觉); second, women; third, those with deficient faculties. Because there are not these three faults, it is called freedom from reproach of substance. There are also three kinds of name: not only are there not these three substances, but even the names of the two vehicles, women, and those with deficient faculties are not heard. Therefore, it is called freedom from reproach of name. 'Equally' means because of the equality of one aspect. How can this be inconceivable? The food shared by the devas (诸天, gods) has colors that change with merit; pressing the ground with a toe reveals the meaning of the golden sand. And those who vow to be reborn there originally have the grades of the three-three (九品往生, nine grades of rebirth), but now there is no distinction between one and two. It is like the Zi River and the Mian River, having the same taste. How can it be conceived? The Gatha of the Accomplishment of Adorned Fulfillment of All Desires and Merit says: 'Because all the desires of sentient beings are fulfilled.' How can this be inconceivable? If the humans and devas in that country wish to go to countless Buddha lands in other worlds to make offerings to all the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, and the necessary offerings, all their wishes are fulfilled. And if they wish to relinquish their lifespan in that country and be reborn in another land, they have freedom over the length of their lives, and all their wishes are granted. They have not attained the position of freedom, yet they have the same function as freedom. How can it be conceived? This demonstrates benefiting oneself and benefiting others. In brief, the seventeen kinds of adorned merit accomplishments of the Amitabha Buddha's (阿弥陀佛, Infinite Light Buddha) land demonstrate the great merit power accomplishment of the Tathagata's own benefit, and the merit accomplishment of benefiting others. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Chinese
言略者。彰彼净土功德无量非唯十七种也。夫须弥之入芥子。毛孔之纳大海。岂山海之神乎。毛芥之力乎。能神者神之耳。是故十七种虽曰利他。自利之义炳然。可知 入第一义谛者。 彼无量寿佛国土庄严第一义谛妙境界相十六句及一句次第说应知 第一义谛者。佛因缘法也。此谛是境义。是故庄严等十六句称为妙境界相。此义至入一法句文当更解释。及一句次第者。谓观器净等。总别十七句观行次第也。云何起次。建章言归命无碍光如来愿生安乐国。此中有疑。疑言。生为有本众累之元。弃生愿生。生何可尽。为释此疑是故观彼净土庄严功德成就。明彼净土是阿弥陀如来清净本愿无生之生。非如三有虚妄生也。何以言之。夫法性清净毕竟无生。言生者是得生者之情耳。生苟无生。生何所尽。尽夫生者上失无为能为之身。下䤄(醉。亡善反)三空不空之痼(废也病也。工路反)。根败永亡号振三千。无反无复于斯招耻。体夫生理。谓之净土。净土之宅所谓十七句是也。十七句中总别为二。初句是总相。所谓是清净佛土过三界道。彼过三界有何相。下十六种庄严功德成就相是也。一者量究竟如虚空。广大无边际故。既知量。此量以何为本。是故观性。性是本义。彼净土从正道大慈悲出世善根生。既言出世善根 。此善根生何等相。是故次观庄严形相。既知形相。宜知形相何等体。是故次观种种事。既知种种事。宜知种种事妙色。是故次观妙色。既知妙色。此色有何触。是故次观触。既知身触。应知眼触。是故次观水地虚空庄严三事。既知眼触。应知鼻触。是故次观衣华香薰。既知眼鼻等触。须知离染。是故次观佛慧明照。既知慧光净力。宜知声名远近。是故次观梵声远闻。既知声名。宜知谁为增上。是故次观主。既知有主。谁为主眷属。是故次观眷属。既知眷属。宜知此眷属若为受用。是故次观受用。既知受用。宜知此受用有难无难。是故次观无诸难。既知无诸难。以何义故无诸难。是故次观大义门。既知大义门。宜知大义门满不满。是故次观所求满足。复次此十七句非但释疑。观此十七种庄严成就。能生真实净信必定得生彼安乐佛土。问曰。上言知生无生。当是上品生者。若下下品人乘十念往生。岂非取实生耶。但取实生即堕二执。一恐不得往生。二恐更生生惑。答譬如净摩尼珠置之浊水水即清净。若人虽有无量生死之罪浊。闻彼阿弥陀如来至极无生清净宝珠名号投之浊心。念念之中罪灭心净即得往生。又是摩尼珠以玄黄币裹投之于水。水即玄黄一如物色。彼清净佛土有阿弥陀如来无上宝珠。以无量庄严功德成就帛裹。 现代汉语译本：这种善根会产生什么样的表象呢？因此接下来观察庄严的形相。既然知道了形相，就应该知道形相是什么样的本体，因此接下来观察种种事物。既然知道了种种事物，就应该知道种种事物的美妙色彩，因此接下来观察美妙的色彩。既然知道了美妙的色彩，这种色彩有什么样的触感呢？因此接下来观察触感。既然知道了身体的触感，就应该知道眼睛的触感，因此接下来观察水、地、虚空这三种庄严的事物。既然知道了眼睛的触感，就应该知道鼻子的触感，因此接下来观察衣服、花朵、香薰。既然知道了眼睛、鼻子等触感，就必须知道远离染污，因此接下来观察佛的智慧光明照耀。既然知道了智慧光明清净的力量，就应该知道声音名号传播的远近，因此接下来观察梵音的远播。既然知道了声音名号，就应该知道谁是增上缘，因此接下来观察主。既然知道有主，谁是主的眷属呢？因此接下来观察眷属。既然知道了眷属，就应该知道这些眷属如何受用，因此接下来观察受用。既然知道了受用，就应该知道这种受用有没有困难，因此接下来观察没有诸多的困难。既然知道了没有诸多的困难，因为什么缘故没有诸多的困难呢？因此接下来观察大义门。既然知道了大义门，就应该知道大义门圆满不圆满，因此接下来观察所求的满足。再者，这十七句不仅仅是解释疑问，观察这十七种庄严成就，能够产生真实的清净信心，必定能够往生到彼安乐佛土。问：上面说知道生即无生，应当是上品往生的人。如果下下品的人，凭借十念往生，难道不是取真实的生吗？但是如果取真实的生，就堕入两种执着。一是恐怕不能往生，二是恐怕更生出生的迷惑。答：譬如清净的摩尼宝珠，放置在浑浊的水中，水立刻就清净了。如果人虽然有无量生死之罪的浑浊，听到阿弥陀（Amitabha）如来至极无生的清净宝珠名号，投向浑浊的心，念念之中罪业消灭，心就清净了，立刻就能往生。又如摩尼宝珠用玄黄色的布包裹，投入水中，水立刻变成玄黄色，和包裹物的颜色一样。彼清净的佛土有阿弥陀（Amitabha）如来无上的宝珠，用无量的庄严功德成就的布帛包裹。